1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an assembly for the automatic operation of hand carts, especially hospital carts.
It is known that in certain institutions, particularly hospitals, the transport and distribution of various products must be organized, e.g., linen, meals, medicine, etc., generally over long distances and on different levels, from one or several central stations, such as the linen room, the kitchen, etc. Hand carts are used for this purpose and are currently most frequently operated over their entire route by hospital personnel, obviously a considerable burden to this personnel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This is why a system was recently proposed which would allow hand carts to be operated automatically over at least part of their route. In this known system, small, remote-controller devices are used which can slide under the carts in order to draw them along a predetermined track, and also into dumb-waiters, if necessary, by means of one or several driving fingers in cooperation with a hooking unit provided on the base of each cart.
A system such as this, however, allows the cart to be driven in only one direction, which is a substantial drawback. One particular result of this is that the dumb-waiters must have two doors, so that the cart can enter through one door and exit through the other, always travelling in the same direction.
Moreover, since the carrying wheels of the cart remains in contact with the floor, these wheels must all be of the swivel type, so that the cart can turn appropriately in curves under the action of its driving device. It is known that such carts are quite difficult to operate manually. If the cart is to be pushed by hand, it is in fact preferable that the cart be equipped with only two swivel-wheels. It is obvious, moreover, that under certain circumstances the carts must in any case be moved by hand, if only to bring them into the patients' rooms.